Chad Gilbert, New Found Glory Founding Guitarist, Dies at 45
Chad Gilbert, founding member and lead guitarist of the U.S. rock band New Found Glory, died on the morning of 20 September at age 45.
His family announced his death on Sunday. They said he died peacefully in his sleep, with his wife and mother beside him. The statement gave no cause of death. The Guardian
His full name was Chad Everett Gilbert. The announcement shared by the band was signed by Lisa, Jordan, Ian, Cyrus and Dan. A separate family statement named his survivors as his wife, his daughter Lily, his mother Jackie, and his brother Brian. His wife's full name is Lisa Cimorelli. SPIN
Gilbert had spoken publicly about long-term cancer treatment. He had been treated for metastatic pheochromocytoma — a rare cancer that had spread from where it started — since 2021. In an April interview with People magazine, he said doctors found three brain tumors and then diagnosed stage four adrenocortical carcinoma, an advanced cancer of the adrenal gland. He had brain surgery. The Guardian
New Found Glory is a pop-punk band, known for fast and melodic guitar rock, formed in Coral Springs, Florida, in 1997. Gilbert played lead guitar and sang backing vocals. The band released the early-2000s hit My Friends Over You. Yahoo Entertainment
Bandmates Jordan Pundik, Ian Grushka and Cyrus Bolooki shared a tribute after his death. The band's announcement said he died surrounded by friends and family.
The broader context here is continuity and rupture. In a band that kept a stable lineup for decades, a founding guitarist carries shared memory of how songs are arranged, recorded and played live. The practical questions now, alongside grief, are how the remaining members handle writing, touring and public life without a musician who shaped their sound from the start. Those choices usually emerge slowly.
